Murphy Brown: Son Avery Recast with Star of Cancelled CBS Show

by Jessica Pena, March 16, 2018

Jean_Nelson / Depositphotos.com

Murphy Brown has some new company. Recently, CBS announced Jake McDorman and Nik Dodani have joined the upcoming reboot series.

As reported earlier, CBS has ordered 13 episodes for a Murphy Brown reboot. The sitcom originally premiered in 1988 and starred Bergen as the titular Murphy Brown, a recovering alcoholic and investigative journalist who returns to host the fictional TV news program, FYI. The cast also included Faith Ford, Pat Corley, Charles Kimbrough, and Lily Tomlin. The show ran on CBS for 10 seasons before ending in 1998.

On CBS‘ Murphy Brown reboot, McDorman will be playing Murphy’s journalist son, Avery (originally played by Haley Joel Osment). Joining McDorman is Nik Dodani as “Pat, the director of social media for the news show who is tasked with bringing Murphy and the gang into the 21st century.”

Read more info below:

Jake McDorman (“Limitless,” “Lady Bird”) and Nik Dodani (“Atypical”) will join the cast of MURPHY BROWN when it returns to CBS for the 2018-2019 broadcast season.

CBS has given a 13-episode, series production commitment to a current-day revival of the Network’s classic comedy from Warner Bros. Television. As its 30th anniversary approaches, MURPHY BROWN returns to a world of cable news, social media, fake news and a very different political and cultural climate.

McDorman will play Avery, Murphy’s millennial journalist son who is following in his mother’s footsteps, perhaps too closely, and has his mother’s competitive spirit and quick wit.

Dodani will play Pat, the director of social media for the news show who is tasked with bringing Murphy and the gang into the 21st century.

As previously announced, original cast members Candice Bergen, Faith Ford, Joe Regalbuto and Grant Shaud will reprise their roles.

Warner Bros. Television, producers of the original series, will produce the new multi-camera comedy with original creator Diane English serving as writer/executive producer through her Bend in the Road Productions banner. Bergen will also be an executive producer.

During the show’s original 10-year run on CBS, MURPHY BROWN received 62 Emmy nominations (with 18 wins), 15 Golden Globe nominations (with three wins), three Screen Actors Guild awards, five Directors Guild nominations (with two wins) and four Writers Guild nominations (with two wins). Bergen won five Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award.

In 2010 TV Guide named Murphy Brown one of the “25 Greatest TV Characters of All Time.”

What do you think? Are you a fan of the original Murphy Brown series? Will you watch the CBS reboot?